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The recipe for a cloud is simple; water vapor in the air, temperature at or below the dew point, and condensation nuclei. The water vapor is created by water evaporating into the air. The dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated (soaked) with water vapor. Condensation nuclei are microscopic particles in the air that the water vapor can condense on.

For instance, on a cold morning, the earth (soil) is a lot colder than the water, so the water heats the air just above the surface. As the water evaporates (rises), there is a point at which the warm air stops, and when the water vapor reaches this point, it condenses, because the air is really cold, on condensation nuclei (dust particles, mineral particles, smoke, etc.), then you get low lying clouds, or fog.